Sunday, March 6, 2011

Daddy on the Edge of a Koch Problem

Wisconsin.Walker.

WTF?

I'm sure I don't have to tell you what's going on in Wisconsin. Governor Scott Walker is doing his level best to push through legislation that would destroy the collective bargaining power of public employee unions. And it was recently discovered that he is pretty much a bought and paid for employee of the billionaire Koch Brothers, which makes Scott Walker...a Koch Whore.

That's what most people know about this bill. The part that is going unnoticed and largely unreported is as disturbing, if not more so. Check out this part of that same bill;

Section 44.16.896 of Wisconsin Senate Bill 11 reads–

(1) Notwithstanding ss. 13.48 (14) (am) and 16.705 (1), the department may sell any state−owned heating, cooling, and power plant or may contract with a private entity for the operation of any such plant, with or without solicitation of bids, for any amount that the department determines to be in the best interest of the state. Notwithstanding ss. 196.49 and 196.80, no approval or certification of the public service commission is necessary for a public utility to purchase, or contract for the operation of, such a plant, and any such purchase is considered to be in the public interest and to comply with the criteria for certification of a project under s. 196.49 (3) (b).

So basically, Walker can sell Wisconsin's public utilities to whomever he wants, for as little as he wants - and no one can stop him.

Now, the Koch Brothers have said that they're not interested in buying the utilities. They've also said that the Tea Party is a grass roots movement and that climate change is a hoax, so you decide if you want to take them at their word on this one.

The Koch Brothers are to the Tea Party what Colonel Tom Parker was to Elvis - largely behind the scenes, but pulling every string. Up until recently, most people hadn't heard of the Koch Brothers or Koch Industries. This was by design. Here's a little about the heads of Koch Industries (yes...the Koch Heads).

Koch Industries is the largest privately owned company in the US, and it makes nearly $100 billion every year but, until recently, it wasn't exactly a household name. Company head David Koch is fond of saying that his company is "the biggest company you've never heard of." The majority of its business is in oil refining, coal, and manufacturing.

The rest of their business revolves around paper goods, political corruption and engineering, moral bankruptcy, pollution and criminal malfeasance.

Y'know that saying, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem"? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you The Problem;

Koch is responsible for over 300 oil spills in the U.S. and has leaked 3 million gallons of crude oil into fisheries and drinking waters. (EPA)

Koch Industries spent more than $48.5 million from 1997 to 2008 funding climate science opposition groups.

Koch Industries has spent $16,922,000 so far in the 111th Congress on lobbying.

Koch Industries spent $1 million trying to roll back California's clean energy law - and failed.

And that is just the tip of the toxic iceberg. Daddy's been sick and tired of these guys since about five minutes after I heard of them. Turns out, I'm not alone. "Anonymous" has also taken an interest in the Koch Fiends. The following is an open letter to the people of the United States from Anonymous;

OpWisconsin

Press Release: #OpWisconsin

Dear Citizens of the United States of America,

It has come to our attention that the brothers, David and Charles Koch--the billionaire owners of Koch Industries--have long attempted to usurp American Democracy. Their actions to undermine the legitimate political process in Wisconsin are the final straw. Starting today we fight back.

Koch Industries, and oligarchs like them, have most recently started to manipulate the political agenda in Wisconsin. Governor Walker's union-busting budget plan contains a clause that went nearly un-noticed. This clause would allow the sale of publicly owned utility plants in Wisconsin to private parties (specifically, Koch Industries) at any price, no matter how low, without a public bidding process. The Koch's have helped to fuel the unrest in Wisconsin and the drive behind the bill to eliminate the collective bargaining power of unions in a bid to gain a monopoly over the state's power supplies.

The Koch brothers have made a science of fabricating 'grassroots' organizations and advertising campaigns to support them in an attempt to sway voters based on their falsehoods. Americans for Prosperity, Club for Growth and Citizens United are just a few of these organizations. In a world where corporate money has become the lifeblood of political influence, the labor unions are one of the few ways citizens have to fight against corporate greed. Anonymous cannot ignore the plight of the citizen-workers of Wisconsin, or the opportunity to fight for the people in America's broken political system. For these reasons, we feel that the Koch brothers threaten the United States democratic system and, by extension, all freedom-loving individuals everywhere. As such, we have no choice but to spread the word of the Koch brothers' political manipulation, their single-minded intent and the insidious truth of their actions in Wisconsin, for all to witness.

Anonymous hears the voice of the downtrodden American people, whose rights and liberties are being systematically removed one by one, even when their own government refuses to listen or worse - is complicit in these attacks. We are actively seeking vulnerabilities, but in the mean time we are calling for all supporters of true Democracy, and Freedom of The People, to boycott all Koch Industries' paper products. We welcome unions across the globe to join us in this boycott to show that you will not allow big business to dictate your freedom.

U.S. Product Boycott List

Vanity Fair

Quilted Northern

Angel Soft

Sparkle

Brawny

Mardi Gras

Dixie

European Product Boycott List

Demak'Up

Kitten Soft

Lotus / Lotus Soft

Tenderly

Nouvelle Soft

Okay Ktchen Towels

Colhogar

Delica

Inversoft

Tutto

To identify these brands, please look for the following logo anywhere on the packaging:

Anonymous.

We are Legion.

We do not forgive.

We do not forget.

Expect us.

Anonymous rocks my world. To be sure, boycotting Koch Fiend products is a fantastic idea. But we need to do so much more. The Tea Party is right, we do need to take our country back, but not from our government, not from our President, not from some imaginary socialist boogieman. We need to take our country, our society, our planet back from the plutarchy that would have us as their indentured servants. I may not make millions or billions of dollars a year, but I am an American. Daddy's family has been on this soil for over 300 years, and I'm not about to sit around while a bunch of rich guys try to throw up a velvet rope at the door and impose a cover charge to keep me out. This country was built on courage, determination and yes - the audacity of hope. Let us not now give it away in the throws of fear, stupidity and cowardice. We are America - We are better than that.

Americans can do anything. I truly believe that. Further, I believe we can do extraordinary things..in just four years. Zoë Kors- Rock Star, Personal Coach Extraordinaire and close personal friend to Daddy sent out the word today of a new mission. A four year quest to turn it all around.